Rice smuggling: CBI probe sought

Puducherry, Nov 18: AIADMK State Secretary and MLA A Anbazhagan today demanded a CBI probe into the smuggling of ration rice from here.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Anbazhagan said that Tamil Nadu Minister Velu had given an ''irresponsible'' statement on the issue that the rice was smuggled out during the AIADMK regime.

Mr Anbazhagan pointed out that the godowns were constructed only on May 31, 2006, while the DMK came to power on May 12, 2006. Hence, the ration rice was smuggled out from Tamil Nadu during the DMK regime, he alleged Wondering how the ICICI Bank had auctioned the rice even after knowing that it was ration rice and that too to PRS Traders, which was very close to the Bank, Mr Anbazhagan asked why no cases were registered against the Bank and the PRS Traders.

He claimed that already 16,000 tonnes of rice had been smuggled out through Puducherry.